Recognizing PTSD in a Loved One

PTSD is something that no one wants to deal with, but often it is a serious situation that many people face. Below, you will find several ways to recognize whether or not you, or someone you love, have PTSD. Over the course of this blog post, and our next one, you will learn to identify this mental disease so that you can seek help when it's needed.

Most of the time, PTSD develops after a traumatic experience. Whether someone witnesses the loss of a friend or family member, has been in a war, or experienced a natural disaster, they are not able to get over what happened. Even if they seem normal, they might have trouble sleeping or eating. There is a constant anxiety and fear in them that will not go away.

Often, people with PTSD will avoid friends and family. They'll be moody or angry for no reason. Even more, anxiety is a constant problem. They're always on alert and hyper-vigilant.

Sometimes, a serious addiction to drugs or alcohol can develop. When this is the case, they are seeking emotional numbness. They want to feel nothing and become attached to nothing. Emotional detachment from friends and family happens before and after addiction.

It is possible those with PTSD continually feel hopeless about the future. Nothing they can do makes them feel any better about their situation.

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They are constantly reminded of the experience they were in and have immense distress when thinking about it. Sometimes, they have insomnia or have difficulty staying awake. No matter what, the reminder of the traumatic event is constant. Nightmares, suicidal thoughts and other physical reactions can be experienced on a daily basis. Sweating, nausea, rapid breathing and irritability are all symptoms.

Additional symptoms can include the following:

Nightmares about the experience

Flashbacks of the situation

Sweating when thinking about it

Racing heart when reliving the trauma

Avoiding places or things that remind them of the traumatic experience

Avoiding thoughts or feelings that can remind one of the situation

Insomnia

Constant feeling of tension or feeling on edge

Feeling guilty

Loss of interest and hobbies

Negative thoughts

Outbursts of anger

Easily startled

If you, or someone you love, are experiencing PTSD please know that help is available. If you are interested in learning more, be sure to visit back with our next blog post. We will talk about more symptoms as well as how to recognize PTSD and how you can get help.

Do you find yourself constantly suffering from depression or anxiety? Is it becoming worse as time goes on? If so, it's time to consider holistic Wilmington mental health services. At Legacy, we are here to help with holistic and alternative anxiety therapy. We can help you find the root cause of your mental illness and also help you treat and recover from it. Learning to cope with a mental illness alone is difficult and overwhelming. However, you don't have to suffer alone. Contact Legacy of Wilmington, NC for more information.